Ahlgrim: We simply wouldn't allow ourselves to pick between "August" and "The 1," two of the best songs in Swift's discography and, honestly, in history. It's called self-care.
However, "The 1" is powerful in a very different way than "August." While the latter lives in the clouds, an abstract palace of yearning, "The 1" is grounded and tactile.
The song's power lies in its delicate one-liners that evoke moments of longing, regret, and insecurity. "But we were something, don't you think so?" is the kind of thing you'd type at 3 a.m., your finger hovering over the "send" button, only to delete it moments later.
By singing such moments into existence, Swift helps us feel less alone.
Larocca: In the past year, I found out Spotify considers the same songs from different iterations of an album as separate tracks. I learned this because I have listened to "The 1" so many times off both the standard and deluxe versions of "Folklore" that it now ranks at No. 1 and No. 3 on my list of most-listened-to tracks of all time. (Sandwiched between them is "August.")
But don't get me wrong — I'm not embarrassed by this stat. It speaks to just how deeply this song has burrowed into my psyche over the past 12 months. My Spotify Wrapped showed it happened quickly too; I hit my 100th listen within six days of its release. It's one of the greatest songs I've ever heard.
I can't even begin to list the ways "The 1" has emotionally scarred, and healed, and scarred me again for life. Every listen presents a new way for a different line to pierce a dagger through my heart.
The second I hear those very first piano notes, I'm transported to an imaginary bus stop or my college dorm room; three blocks from my apartment, or a dark movie theater playing trailers before the main event. Anywhere I've ever felt like a ghost or a shell, deeply entrenched in thought about what could've been if one thing had been different.
I don't have the space to dissect every verse, so I'll just highlight one that breaks my soul in two every time: "I have this dream you're doing cool s--- / Having adventures on your own / You meet some woman on the internet and take her home."